Soft tissue anchors and systems for implantation

摘要

Surgical kits for the implantation of soft tissue-to-bone anchors and expandable, preferably bioabsorbable, soft tissue anchors. The surgical kits include an embodiment with an outer tube with an expandable anchor releasably attached to its distal end, for guiding the anchor into a predrilled hole; an inner tube with an anchor expanding pin sized for expanding the anchor releasably held in its bore; and a pushrod for pushing the anchor pin into the anchor to expand it and wedge it in a hole. In an alternative embodiment, the anchor pin is attached to the distal end of a pushrod inserted into an outer tube. In one embodiment, the anchor is equipped with downward extending spikes on the underside of an enlarged head for gripping soft tissue and bending barbs to resist withdrawal of the anchor from bone. In another embodiment, the anchor's proximal end has no enlarged head but is equipped with sutures. In a further embodiment, the anchor's enlarged head is tilted at an angle to allow better engagement of spikes with soft tissue.